John Vorus | Earthshine Nature

New nature photos from ENP!

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Stevo

Check out several new photos from adventures with Earthshine Nature Programs from over the last few weeks–enjoy!

Crikey hiding in the murky depths. He is a 20″ Spectacled Cayman that was donated to us in September.

The Turtle of Change with some of the Earthshine education turtles. This Turtle of Change award called “Turtle Grupo Tortuguero” was presented to me by “Salamander Whisperer” Alan Cameron for my work with nature and wildlife education and conservation. THANK YOU Alan! Learn more about the turtle at http://www.blueturtle.com

The Turtle of Change with Dr. Bolt and Dr. Davis and a Timber rattlesnake. The snake was about to have a tiny radio transmitter implanted to facilitate tracking it in the wild.

Timber rattlesnake in a restraint tube before transmitter surgery

The Turtle of Change with the Wildsouth crew.

He is holding the Turtle of Change award and a sick turtle.

Busking in Asheville for the Turtle of Change with John Vorus and Chance Feimster

Another view of Didgeridoo and the Turtle of Change

Didgeridoo and the Turtle of Change on top of a remote rock outcrop.

Five Loggerhead sea turtle nests on Edisto Island, SC.

this Snapping turtle crawled into a plastic milk jug ring when it was a baby. the turtle grew but the ring did not stretch. the turtle is now deformed for the rest of its life. This is why you should never litter and always recycle.

Some massive bamboo I found while canoeing in September

Presenting the Turtle of Change to John Rucker and his Turtledogs

maitake mushroom growing at the base of an oak

cooking the maitake with onions and garlic

Jimmy Irwin on 10-14-12. What a beautiful turtle!

hatchling box turtle with flash drive for scale

Hatchling about to be released in the woods near where it’s eggs were accidentally dug up. Good luck little turtle.

Baby Copperheads about to be released. They were born in the nature center in the late summer.

Earthshine is a great place to learn about nature!

Turtle of Change visit’s Asheville, NC street buskers and Xavier Rudd in concert!

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Stevo

On October 20th the Blue Turtle award known as “Turtle Grupo Tortuguero” made a special trip to Asheville, North Carolina. While there it witnessed some street buskers playing their didgeridoo (yidaki) for good and positive change. The turtle then was present at a concert by “multi-instrumentalist, world class surfer, animal rights activist and nature conservationist” Xavier Rudd. The next day the turtle journeyed to the top of a remote granitic dome in the middle of the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC for a look at the fall scenery and a special didgeridoo performance by Earthshine Nature Programs Naturalist Steve O’Neil. View the video of highlights from the adventure below.

My challenge for you reading this: PLEASE do something good today for your family, friends, community, animals and Nature. Pass the positive energy along and keep it moving. Let’s create a wave of good and positive, lasting change that will make your communities and the world a better place for all creatures.

Musicians in order of appearance: Steve O’Neil, Chance Feimster, John Vorus and Xavier Rudd.

For more about Earthshine Nature Programs and Steve O’Neil visit: www.earthshinenature.com and www.earthshinenature.wordpress.com

For John Vorus visit: www.johnvorus.com

For Xavier Rudd visit: www.xavierrudd.com

Learn more about the Blue Turtle/Turtle of Change Award at www.blueturtle.com

Turtle of Change and Didgeridoo

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Stevo

A few posts back I told you about the Turtle of Change award that was presented to me by my friend Alan Cameron aka: “The Salamander Whisperer.” It was a great honor to have the Turtle of Change for a short time and then to pass it on to John Rucker–another person who is working to make a difference in wildlife and nature conservation. During the short time that I held the turtle it followed me in my daily duties as a naturalist and outdoor educator and along the way visited some amazing places, people and creatures. Read the full blog post here on the Blue Turtle website. If you missed my first posting about the Turtle of Change you can read it here.

One of the stops the turtle and I made was at a remote rock outcrop with large rock shelter underneath located on the top of a distant mountain near Brevard, NC. The top of the rock and rock shelter was undoubtedly used by ancient Native Americans as a sacred site as evidenced by the petroglyphs present on the rocks. I met my friend and Didgeridoo master John Vorus at the site for a special musical tribute to the Turtle of Change. We stood on top of the rock, took in the grand view of the surrounding mountains and felt the ancient energy of the rocks and the Earth. Then we made our way down under the rocks into the large rock shelter beneath. There we played our yidaki (aka: didgeridoo) into the turtle giving it a positive vibration and energy in a way that only the yidaki can do.

It was a very powerful and special experience.

Watch the video for the details.

Special thanks to John Vorus for sharing his talent with the Turtle of Change project.

Learn more about John at www.johnvorus.com

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